Chiang Mai International Airport

Chiang Mai International Airport (IATA: CNX, ICAO: VTCC) is an international airport in Suthep subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Mai district, Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. It is a major gateway that links northern Thailand to the rest of the region and is currently the fourth-busiest airport in the country. It is managed by Airports of Thailand.

Chiang Mai International Airport ท่าอากาศยานเชียงใหม่ Tha-akatsayan Chiang Mai
IATA: CNX ICAO: VTCC
Summary
Airport type	Public / military
Owner	Royal Thai Air Force
Operator	Airports of Thailand
Serves	Chiang Mai
Location	Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Opened	1 October 1921; 103 years ago (1921-10-01)
Focus city for	Thai Airways International
Operating base for	Bangkok Airways Nok Air Thai AirAsia
Elevation AMSL	316 m / 1,036 ft
Coordinates	18°46′00″N 098°57′45″E
Website	chiangmai.airportthai.co.th
Maps
CNX/VTCC Location in Chiang Mai province Show map of Chiang Mai Province CNX/VTCC Location in Thailand Show map of Thailand CNX/VTCC Location in Southeast Asia Show map of Southeast Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 18/36 3,400 11,155 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Passengers 9,082,071 10.43% International passengers 2,518,671 34.05% Domestic passengers 6,563,400 3.43% Aircraft movements 59,493 6.88% Freight (tonnes) 5,475 4.19%
Source:[1]: 1  Airports of Thailand[2]

Aerial view of the airport's runways and southern part of the city, captured from Doi Suthep

History

Front of Chiang Mai International Airport

Chiang Mai Airport International Departure Hall

Airplanes at Chiang Mai International Airport

The airport began operations in 1934 as Suthep Airport,^[3] after it developed as an airstrip in the early 1920s. Until World War Two, it was used mainly for postal delivery services, with some military use. During the war, it was used by the occupying Japanese forces, and was hence attacked by British and US air forces.^[4]

The first scheduled passenger flight to Chiang Mai arrived in 1947, with the foundation of Siamese Airways. At this time and until the late 1950s the runway surface was still grass or dirt, with very few support buildings.^[4]

Upgrades in 2014 included expanding the apron for larger planes, extending operating hours to 24/7 (effective April 2014), and enlarging the international arrival hall and domestic departure hall.^[5]

Airports of Thailand expanded the terminal with upgrades in 2014 including expansion of the apron for larger planes, extending operating hours to 24/7 (effective April 2014), and enlarging the international arrival hall and domestic departure hall.^[5] As of 2018, 31 airlines operated at CNX, serving 11 million passengers, 78,210 flights and 14,612 tonnes of cargo.^[6]

As a result of the temporary closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2008 due to the protests, Chiang Mai was used as an alternative stopover for China Airlines flights between Taipei and Europe and for Swiss International Air Lines' Singapore-Zurich flights. On 24 January 2011, the airport became a secondary hub for Thai AirAsia.^[7] China Airlines subsequently regularised the stopover.

Facilities

The airport is at an elevation of 316 metres (1,037 ft) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 18/36 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,100 by 45 metres (10,171 ft × 148 ft).^[8] There are two terminals, one for domestic passengers and the other for international flights.^{[citation needed]}

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
AirAsia	Kuala Lumpur–International
Air China	Beijing–Capital[9]
Asiana Airlines	Seoul–Incheon[10]
Bangkok Airways	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Koh Samui, Phuket, Krabi
Cebu Pacific	Manila[11]
China Airlines	Taipei–Taoyuan[12]
Chengdu Airlines	Chengdu–Tianfu
China Eastern Airlines	Kunming, Shanghai–Pudong
China Southern Airlines	Guangzhou
Eastar Jet	Busan,[13] Seoul–Incheon[14]
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi (begins 4 November 2025)[15]
EVA Air	Taipei–Taoyuan[16]
HK Express	Hong Kong[17]
Hong Kong Airlines	Hong Kong (ends 7 May 2025)[18]
Jeju Air	Seoul–Incheon
Jin Air	Seoul–Incheon
Juneyao Air	Shanghai–Pudong
Korean Air	Seoul–Incheon
Lao Airlines	Luang Prabang
Malaysia Airlines	Kuala Lumpur–International[19]
Myanmar Airways International	Mandalay,[20] Yangon[21]
Myanmar National Airlines	Yangon
Nok Air	Bangkok–Don Mueang, Udon Thani
Ruili Airlines	Kunming, Xishuangbanna
Scoot	Singapore
Spring Airlines	Guangzhou, Shanghai–Pudong, Xi'an[22]
Starlux Airlines	Taipei–Taoyuan[23]
Thai AirAsia	Bangkok–Don Mueang, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Hanoi, Hat Yai, Hong Kong, Hua Hin,[24] Khon Kaen, Krabi, Phuket, Sapporo–Chitose (begins 15 June 2025),[25] Surat Thani, Taipei–Taoyuan[26]
Thai Airways International	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi[27]
Thai Lion Air	Bangkok–Don Mueang, Kaohsiung, Pattaya
Thai VietJet Air	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Osaka–Kansai,[28] Phuket

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at CNX airport. See Wikidata query.

Traffic by calendar year

Comparison of passenger volume, aircraft movements and cargo volume at Chiang Mai International Airport, by year^[29]

Year	Passengers	Change from previous year	Movements	Cargo (tons)	Notes
2011	3,880,037	–	32,445	21,484
2012	4,491,331	015.75%	36,981	19,628
2013	5,463,921	021.65%	43,366	18,188
2014	6,630,624	021.35%	52,642	17,796
2015	8,365,851	026.17%	63,843	18,425
2016	9,446,320	012.92%	69,202	18,512
2017	10,230,280	08.3%	71,994	17,302
2018	10,989,869	07.42%	78,210	14,615
2019	11,333,548	03.13%	79,504	12,313
2020	4,851,475	057.19%	39,455	4,915
2021	1,762,732	063.67%	16,051	3,318
2022	5,459,481	0209.72%	39,027	5,584
2023	8,224,573	050.65%	55,663	5,255
2024	9,082,071	06.88%	59,493	5,474

Busiest international routes 2019

Busiest international routes to and from Chiang Mai Airport (2019)^[30]

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	Change %
1	Shanghai–Pudong	446,398	18.41%
2	Hong Kong	323,897	10.71%
3	Guangzhou	297,819	3.67%
4	Seoul–Incheon	251,805	64.77%
5	Kunming	232,791	15.44%
6	Taipei–Taoyuan	221,975	192.24%
7	Kuala Lumpur–International	171,918	3.84%
8	Singapore	128,657	4.99%
9	Macau	112,956	11.17%
10	Hangzhou	110,614	43.60%

Busiest domestic routes 2019

Busiest domestic routes to and from Chiang Mai Airport (2019)^[30]

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	Change %
1	Bangkok–Don Mueang	3,565,272	0.39%
2	Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi	2,866,138	1.81%
3	Phuket	415,726	12.27%
4	Pattaya	323,547	0.40%
5	Krabi	209,382	0.31%